Keyword: Historical race wagering

Attorneys for two sides in the convoluted court battle over historical race wagering in Kentucky were in court again July 25, arguing whether the type machines in use at Kentucky Downs are in compliance with state regulations.

Keeneland will begin its spring meet with a bump in overnight purses, but track officials hope it's the start of steady growth made possible by revenue from Lexington's historical race wagering facility.

When Keeneland shifts its simulcast operation to The Red Mile harness track July 15, it will mark a major change for Lexington. And a few months later more than 900 historical racing machines are expected to be operational.

Keeneland will ask the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission May 6 for permission to offer Thoroughbred simulcasts at The Red Mile, the Lexington harness track that is constructing a facility for historical race wagering machines.

The Kentucky Thoroughbred industry is more than holding its own despite national declines and the absence of alternative revenue sources available in other states, officials said Feb. 3 at the CBA symposium.

The departure of the executive director of the Kentucky Equine Education Project is apparently related to changes in staffing and expenditures as it refocuses its efforts away from trying to get legalized casino gambling.

A Circuit Court judge said Nov. 3 he would issue a ruling within two to three weeks on a motion seeking a trial date and other deadlines in connection with a lawsuit challenging the legality of historical racing in Kentucky.

A coalition representing racing and breeding interests in Texas has retained an attorney to assist in the continued push for historical race wagering, an electronic form of wagering based on previously run horse races.

Keeneland plans to offer historical racing at a new 40,000-square foot facility to be built on the property and scheduled to open in July 2015. The new Keeneland Event Center will offer 600 Instant Racing games.

The number of historical race gaming machines in operation at Kentucky racetracks would increase substantially if the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approves requests from Keeneland Racecourse and The Red Mile.

The Kentucky General Assembly early March 30 signed off on a $20 billion state budget that includes revenue components for the horse racing and breeding industry, including tax rates for Instant Racing and ADW.

The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled the state's horse racing commission has the statutory authority to allow wagering on historical racing, but questions about taxation will require further action in circuit court.

A New Jersey Senate committee Dec. 9 approved legislation that would authorize historical race wagering, also known as Instant Racing, at the state's racetracks, off-track wagering parlors, and casino race books.

Compared with 2012, average all-sources handle declined 17% at the recently completed Ellis Park summer meet, a decrease the track attributes to new competition and fewer off-track outlets in the state.

The Kentucky racetrack, which will offer live racing five days in September, released a condition book that shows more stakes and hefty overnight purses, including $90,000 for 2-year-old maiden special weight events.

Wagering on historical races, an electronic form of gaming in which the outcome is determined by the results of previously run races, continues to soar in Kentucky and has exceeded the $356 million mark through May.

The Kentucky House Feb. 27 passed legislation that in part would take revenue from historical race wagering to fund pensions for state workers, but one lawmaker questioned the bill's impact on the horse industry.

Keeneland officials said they view their plan to build a Quarter Horse racetrack and entertainment center in southeastern Kentucky as part of an overall effort to improve the economics of the horse industry.

Churchill Downs Inc. has invested at least an additional $1 million in Kentucky Downs, the track in South Central Kentucky that has reaped millions in revenues from Instant Racing machines introduced last fall.

With an appeals court planning to hear arguments later this month on the legality of Instant Racing, the electronic form of gaming continues to generate significant revenues for Kentucky Downs and the state's horse industry.